A heated political dispute erupted in Australia’s Senate after the national flag became the centre of attention.
Coalition Senator Jacinta Price wrapped herself in the Australian flag during her speech to mark National Flag Day. Soon after, she was joined by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who followed suit.
The move sparked immediate backlash when Greens Senator Nick McKim questioned whether the flag could be considered a “prop,” which is normally banned in the chamber. McKim argued that if Price was allowed to wear the national flag, he should equally have the right to enter the chamber draped in a Palestinian flag.
Acting Senate President Slade Brockman intervened, requesting Price and Hanson to continue their speeches without the flag on their shoulders. Price fired back, condemning the Greens’ position as “typical” and drawing a sharp comparison with the wearing of the keffiyeh, a traditional Middle Eastern headdress. She suggested that if the flag was objectionable, then so too should be the keffiyeh in the Senate chamber.
This parliamentary standoff comes at a politically charged moment. Just last weekend, the Australian flag was a dominant feature during March for Australia demonstrations across the country, where thousands marched with the emblem.
However, the presence of neo-Nazi groups among the demonstrators has reignited debate about the flag’s symbolism and the ways it is used in political discourse.
